The vote next day amply justified the hopes of O’Halloran and his friends. The whole ticket, sent out by telegraph and messengers throughout the State, was triumphantly elected by large majorities. Only in one or two out-of-the-way places, where the news of the fall of Megales did not arrive in time to affect the voting, did the old government party make any showing worthy of consideration. It was after Valdez’s election had been made certain by the returns that O’Halloran and Juan Valdez posted to the prison and visited father and daughter. They separated in the lower corridor, one to visit the defeated governor, the other Miss Carmencita. The problem before Juan Valdez was to induce that young woman to remain in Chihuahua instead of accompanying her father in his flight. He was a good fighter, and he meant to win, if it were a possibility. She had tacitly admitted that she loved him, but he knew that she felt that loyalty demanded she stay by her father in his flight. When O’Halloran was admitted to the cell where the governor and the general were staying he laughed aloud. “Faith, gentlemen, is this the best accommodation Governor Valdez can furnish his guests? We must petition him to improve the sanitation of his hotel.” “We are being told, one may suppose, that General Valdez is the newly elected governor?” “Right, your excellency, elected by a large majority to succeed the late Governor Megales.” “Late!” The former governor lifted his eyebrows. “Am I also being told that necessity demands the posting of the suicide bulletin, after all?” “Not at all. Sure, I gave you me word, excellency. And that is one of the reasons why I am here. We have arranged to run a special down the line to-night, in order to avoid the risk of the news leaking out that you are still here. Can you make your arrangements to take that train, or will it hurry your packing too much?” Megales laughed. “I have nothing to take with me except my daughter. The rest of my possessions may be forwarded later.” “Oh, your daughter! Well, that’s pat, too. What about the lad, Valdez?” “Are you his representative, señor?” “Oh, he can talk for himself.” O’Halloran grinned. “He’s doing it right now, by the same token. Shall we interrupt a tête-à-tête and go pay our compliments to Miss Carmencita? You will want to find out whether she goes with you or stays here.” “Assuredly. Anything to escape this cave.” Miss Carmencita was at that moment reiterating her everlasting determination to go wherever her father went. “If you think, sir, that your faithlessness to him is a recommendation of your promised faithfulness to me, I can only wish you more light on the feelings of a daughter,” she was informing Valdez, when her father slipped through the panel door and stood before her. “Brava, señorita!” he applauded, with subtle irony, clapping his hands. “Brava, brava!” That young woman swam blushingly toward him and let her face disappear in an embrace.